BROODING 



135 



metal hovers or reflectors which throw the heat down to the 

 ground; others are heated with gasolene or with kerosene; 

 but all of the colony brooders are designed for large commer- 

 cial poultry plants where many thousands of chicks are to 

 be reared (Fig. 73). 



The long intensive brooder house is rather expensive to 

 build, but is most satisfactory. These long brooder houses 

 are from 14 to 16 feet wide, and sometimes vary from 50 to 



FIG. 72. A small out-door brooder heated with a kerosene lamp and holding 

 fifty chicks. 



several hundreds of feet hi length. Different types of hovers 

 are used in these, the small individual portable hovers being 

 quite common; each in itself being a unit. The heat is pro- 

 vided by kerosene lamps. Fireless brooders were tried some 

 years ago, but were not practicable. Long brooder houses 

 are frequently heated by hot water pipes running along the 

 top of the hovers, and usually elevated six to eight inches 

 from the ground. Muslin frames are generally placed over 

 the pipes to hold the heat and deflect it down to the brooder 



